Hopedale gun club closed after tests show high lead levels

Thursday

Sep 4, 2014 at 12:01 AMSep 4, 2014 at 3:45 PM

By Zachary ComeauDaily News Staff

HOPEDALE - A gun club that was inspected after junior members reported high levels of lead in their blood has closed after an investigation showed deficiencies in the upkeep and maintenance of the shooting range and high lead levels in the building.

The Hopedale Pistol and Rifle Club, formed in 1947 and located in a brick building at 25 Depot St., has eight shooting positions on a 50-foot indoor target, according to the club’s website. The Junior Shooters club includes memebrs ranging in age from 10 to 18.

According to Health Agent Lenny Izzo, several parents of the club’s junior shooters reported in June that their children had elevated lead levels in their blood after recent doctor visits, prompting physicians to file a report with the state. The state, in turn, sent inspectors to the club last week.

Izzo said the club has been closed since mid-August. A sign on the club’s door Wednesday stated the club is closed "temporarily for maintenance."

According to the report, dated Aug. 6, nine out of 10 wipe samples taken on July 10 were "not satisfactory," including four samples taken in rooms other than the range.

"Wipe samples indicate that elevated levels of lead dust exist in areas where hand-to-mouth contact is possible," the report states. "A comprehensive cleaning of the range is required."

Department of Labor Standards Executive Director Heather Rowe said lead contamination has been found in many other firing ranges and couldn’t say where the club stands on a scale "of how bad this may or not have been," but pointed to the test results.

On a desk in the front room that is not a part of the firing range, the levels of lead were found to be more than 10,000 micrograms per square foot, the report said, which is 50 times over the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's allowable limit of 200 micrograms per square foot

Lead levels were also found to be above 10,000 micrograms per square foot on the floor behind the shooting bays, the report said.

The club is required to wet-clean all tables, floors in the front room and range, horizontal surfaces, clips used to hold in targets and shooting bay shelves.

The club is also required to implement a housekeeping schedule and procedures, including daily wet-mopping and wiping of floors and surfaces.

Another finding of the report is that air flow from the building’s ventilation system is "slower than industry guidelines" at 9 to 36 feet per minute, much lower than the 50 to 75 feet per minute recommended by NIOSH.

The club is required to increase the air flow and keep the ventilation system on at all times.

The report also said that club members responsible for cleaning the range "do not have the appropriate personal protective equipment to prevent their exposure to lead."

The club is being required to provide tight-fitting cartridge respirators, gloves and training in the cleaning of hazardous lead dust.

The club must submit documentation providing proof that corrective action has been taken to the Department of Labor Standards by Sept. 12.

Rowe said the club was not ordered to close by the department, but if corrective action is not taken, the matter will be referred to the Board of Health.

No club members could be reached for comment.

Zachary Comeau can be reached at 508-634-7556 and zcomeau@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZComeau_MDN.